Friday, January 12, 2007

Google Talk + AIM = When?

I've seen a numberofcomments on the web regarding the previously announced interoperability plans between AIM and Google Talk, especially as the one-year anniversary of the announcement came up at the end of December. Nothing yet has made it into the hands of users, leading some to wonder whether it is actually going to happen. Having followed this effort closely both at AOL and now at Google, it's very interesting to read the various opinions from the outside.

On the Google side, I can simply refer to our official statement, and our stock answer, "We are working actively on integrating AIM access in Google Talk."

And as for a version of AIM that talks to Google users? There has been no comment whatsoever from AOL regarding such a client, so I guess we'll have to wait and see how important this is to AOL's new management team.

However, AOL also appears to be working on an XMPP gateway for AIM, which would allow XMPP/Jabber clients to access the AIM network using AIM screen names. Based on the public information, it seems that this should be available in the near future.One way or another, looks like many believe 2007 is shaping up to be an exciting year.

So the Gateway AOL works on requires an AOL Screenname on the XMPP side? That sounds poor to me. This is exactly what PyAIMt already does. I thought with an official AOL Gateway it would be possible to just use the "native" JID. Technically i don't see why it shouldn't work that way.

PyAIMt is a transport. From the sound of it, a Gateway would allow "native" interaction with AIM and is thus different from a transport.

If all it took was a transport, there would've been interoperability long ago since all that Google has to do is to set up a transport and do everything on the Google-side without any help from AOL. A gateway would require AOL's cooperation and would be a much better solution.

Justin writes: "AOL also appears to be working on an XMPP gateway for AIM, which would allow XMPP/Jabber clients to access the AIM network using AIM screen names"

That's what i was referring to. He clearly sais on the XMPP side there needs to be an AIM screen name. So the user experience is identical to PyAIMt, no matter if it works technically different.I hope this is not how the Google Talk/ AIM interoperability works.

Justin, AIM already interoperates with @mac.com accounts, which are XMPP, no? Why isn't interoperability with Google as simple as adding @gmail.com and @googlemail.com to the list of domains it can interoperate with?

@Eli:.mac does not use XMPP. Not yet at least. Apple uses AOL's OSCAR protocol, so this is no interoperability in the actual meaning. i think Apple doesn't even have it's own servers for instant messaging, it is more like you have an AIM Screenname ending with @mac.com

A native XMPP gateway atop of the AIM servers is definitely the way to go. I've managed AIM PyAIMt transports...they are very buggy and do not scale well (client socket and state management on server).